A meta-analysis of 39 RCTs in postmenopausal women found exercise training improved waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL, glucose, and blood pressure, with combined training most effective.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2,132 participants pooled · 2023PostmenopausalCited 33 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs found programmed exercise for 3 to 4 months lowered insulin levels, HOMA-IR, BMI and body fat in postmenopausal women, while longer programs mainly reduced waist circumference.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 580 participants pooled · 24 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
A review of 28 randomised trials in postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 found walking combined with resistance training could preserve weight and bone density and increase muscle strength.
Mixed resultsSystematic review · 2,646 participants pooled · 2004Early postmenopausalCited 219 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 59 trials in postmenopausal women aged 45 to 78 found aerobic training improved blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, body fat, cholesterol and fitness, with very low certainty evidence.
Mixed resultsMeta-analysis · 4,225 participants pooled · 2024PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of three trials in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes found combined aerobic and resistance training improved insulin resistance but not HbA1c.
Mixed resultsMeta-analysis · 83 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 15 RCTs with 1,110 middle-aged women found aerobic exercise reduced waist circumference and blood glucose and increased VO2 max.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,110 participants pooled · 2022Midlife womenCited 6 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 20 trials in overweight or obese postmenopausal and older women found resistance training improved body fat, metabolic risk and inflammation, with higher training volume giving larger glucose and inflammation improvements.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 2024PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
A meta-analysis of 23 trials in 1001 postmenopausal women found concurrent aerobic and resistance training modestly improved body composition and metabolic markers, with no significant change in inflammation markers.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 1,001 participants pooled · 2026PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A network meta-analysis of 142 trials in postmenopausal women found combined training, aerobic exercise, resistance training and mind-body exercise each improved different metabolic syndrome risk factors.
Reported an improvementMeta-analysis · 7,967 participants pooled · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, 16 weeks of aerobic training combined with resistance training improved glucose disposal more than aerobic exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 16 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 307 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes following a 6-month Mediterranean lifestyle program combining diet, exercise and stress management reported improved blood sugar control, BMI and quality of life versus usual care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 279 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 168 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women at high diabetes risk broke up prolonged sitting with brief standing or walking, which reduced after-meal blood glucose and insulin responses compared with uninterrupted sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 2016PostmenopausalCited 192 timesPubMed
Inactive overweight postmenopausal women did 12 months of diet, exercise, or both; insulin resistance improved significantly with diet and with diet plus exercise but not with exercise alone.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 103 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did moderate or vigorous treadmill walking for 20 weeks during calorie restriction; both exercise groups preserved lean mass but showed no extra loss of abdominal fat versus diet alone.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 95 women · 20 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 128 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women and frail nursing home residents did high intensity strength training, and researchers found significant gains in strength and functional status.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 100 women · 1997PostmenopausalCited 161 timesPubMed
In 173 overweight sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 months of moderate aerobic exercise lowered insulin and leptin levels compared with a stretching control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 173 women · 52 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 117 timesPubMed
Over 54 months, women given a diet and physical activity program going through perimenopause to postmenopause had smaller LDL cholesterol increases, less weight gain, and smaller waist circumference increase than an assessment-only group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 535 women · 234 weeks · 2001Midlife womenCited 99 timesPubMed
Previously inactive postmenopausal women did a year-long aerobic exercise program of 225 minutes a week, and researchers found reduced insulin, insulin resistance and leptin compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 310 women · 52 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 84 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did diet, exercise, or both for 14 weeks; CRP fell with all approaches but exercise alone changed weight and leptin only slightly.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 33 women · 14 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 150 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women at increased cardiovascular risk were assigned to different doses of aerobic exercise training for six months to study effects on fitness and heart disease risk factors.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 450 women · 26 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 83 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors who cycled three times weekly for 15 weeks showed no change in fasting insulin or glucose but had significant changes in IGF-I and IGFBP-3 versus non-exercising controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 52 women · 15 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 122 timesPubMed
In 107 overweight postmenopausal women over 6 months, adding resistance training to calorie restriction reduced body fat more but did not further improve lipids, insulin or inflammation markers versus diet alone.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 107 women · 26 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 87 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women in an 18-month diet and physical activity program lost about 17 pounds and showed improved cholesterol, insulin and glucose compared to a health education group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 508 women · 78 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 62 timesPubMed
In 535 premenopausal women aged 44 to 50, a 6-month diet and physical activity program reduced weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar compared with no intervention.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 520 women · 26 weeks · 1995PerimenopausalCited 78 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women who walked three times weekly for 12 weeks with or without an EGCG supplement showed reduced waist circumference and body fat, with no difference between supplement and placebo.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 38 women · 12 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 95 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes who joined a 6 month Mediterranean lifestyle program with diet and exercise counseling showed changes in social resources that were linked to improved exercise behavior and glycemic control.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 279 women · 26 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 62 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 6 months of resistance and aerobic exercise with or without soy isoflavones; exercise reduced fat mass and increased lean mass, with no added benefit from isoflavones.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 100 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 65 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did low or high volume resistance training three times weekly for 16 weeks, and both groups gained strength while high volume training reduced waist size, cholesterol and inflammation more.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 32 women · 16 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 70 timesPubMed
92 postmenopausal women with obesity did diet, physical-cognitive exercise, or both for 3 months, and exercise groups showed improved memory, BDNF, insulin and body fat versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 92 women · 12 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 42 timesPubMed
Breast cancer survivors did a 12-month remote diet and physical activity weight loss program and reported greater reductions in weight, fat mass, waist size, glucose and musculoskeletal pain than usual care.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 159 women · 52 weeks · 2021Midlife womenCited 40 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal Korean women did 16 weeks of yoga exercise and showed reduced body fat, blood pressure and insulin resistance, with increased HDL cholesterol and adiponectin, versus a no-exercise control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 women · 16 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 75 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women walking five days weekly at varying intensities and doses showed small improvements in diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose, but no change in lipids or insulin.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 246 women · 2003PostmenopausalCited 53 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women did six months of exercise with or without isoflavone supplementation, and exercise plus isoflavone reduced body weight and abdominal fat more than exercise alone.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 50 women · 26 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 57 timesPubMed
Healthy postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of resistance training three times weekly; it lowered metabolic syndrome risk score, fasting glucose, and body fat, and increased strength and lean mass.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 16 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 59 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women with a history of weight cycling who did a 12-month diet and/or aerobic exercise program improved insulin resistance as much as non-cyclers, with no difference in adherence.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
A review of 15 intervention studies found that physical activity combined with calorie-restricted diets in postmenopausal women generally reduced body weight, fat mass and waist size and improved blood sugar and fitness.
Reported an improvementSystematic review · 2010PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In obese postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of aerobic exercise reduced body fat, glucose, insulin and blood pressure, and raised sex hormone binding globulin, versus no change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 1-year exercise and/or low-fat diet program, and metabolic syndrome score improved with exercise, diet or both, driven mainly by body fat loss.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 149 women · 52 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of combined endurance and resistance training improved body composition, performance and insulin sensitivity, with no added benefit from DHEA supplementation.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 49 timesPubMed
Twenty nine postmenopausal breast cancer survivors did 15 weeks of combined walking and resistance training, and the exercise group showed improved fitness, blood pressure, weight, insulin, glucose and cholesterol measures.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 29 women · 15 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
In 14 healthy women over 50, slow postmeal walking for 15 or 40 minutes lowered and delayed the blood glucose rise after a carbohydrate-rich meal compared with sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 14 women · 2009Midlife womenCited 53 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women at high risk of type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks of high-intensity bodyweight training and combined aerobic-resistance training both improved muscle mass, walk test performance and insulin resistance, but only combined training increased strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 women · 12 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 37 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with insulin resistance who added soy isoflavones to a Mediterranean diet and exercise programme for 24 months showed lower insulin resistance than diet and exercise alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 116 women · 104 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 12 week home-based bench step exercise program and showed improved BMI, blood pressure, glucose, LDL cholesterol and arterial stiffness measures.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 38 timesPubMed
Healthy women aged 50 to 65 did 12 weeks of combined aerobic plus resistance training or aerobic training alone, and combined training improved growth hormone, body fat, glucose and blood pressure more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 12 weeks · 2010Midlife womenCited 40 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did 12 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise and showed reduced body fat, lower insulin resistance, and increased muscle mass.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with glucose intolerance in an intensive lifestyle program combining weight loss and 150 minutes weekly exercise showed increased SHBG and lower DHEA, linked to lower glucose levels.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 382 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 21 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did exercise plus Mediterranean diet, with or without soy isoflavones, for 24 months; the soy group showed greater drops in fat mass, glucose, insulin and inflammation markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 65 women · 104 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
In 24 sedentary women aged 41 to 55, 12 weeks of brisk walking improved fitness and reduced body fat, lowered the post-meal insulin response, but did not change the post-meal triglyceride response.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 12 weeks · 1995Midlife womenCited 54 timesPubMed
In 37 prediabetic women, 3 months of a Diabetic Yoga Protocol reduced HbA1c and glucose levels, though cholesterol increased in menopausal participants.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 37 women · 12 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 27 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women tested brief standing or walking breaks during prolonged sitting; walking breaks lowered post-meal glucose response and standing breaks improved vascular function versus sitting.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 10 women · 2017PostmenopausalCited 36 timesPubMed
In 35 obese postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome, resistance band training improved blood glucose, insulin resistance, lipids, blood pressure, body fat and lean mass compared to no change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 35 women · 2021PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Female cancer survivors averaging age 52 did a year of supervised aerobic plus resistance training or home-based activity, with the fitness center group showing greater treadmill time and heart rate recovery gains.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 154 women · 52 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 19 timesPubMed
Protocol describes a planned 12-month trial testing a diet and physical activity weight management program in overweight postmenopausal women attending breast screening; no results reported yet.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 414 women · 52 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 15 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with impaired glucose tolerance did 12 weeks of eccentric knee resistance training, gaining leg lean mass, strength and walk distance, with insulin sensitivity unchanged.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 16 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome, 8 weeks of resistance training or HIIT reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, with HIIT improving metabolic markers more and resistance training improving muscle mass and strength more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 45 women · 8 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 19 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did 6 weeks of twice-weekly hypertrophic resistance training and showed improved resting heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, body fat, and muscle strength versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 37 women · 6 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Twenty-two postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of progressive resistance training, and researchers found increased strength, reduced waist circumference, cholesterol and blood glucose, with no change in blood pressure.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 22 women · 12 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 25 timesPubMed
Obese, inactive postmenopausal Black women at breast cancer risk did 6 months of supervised or home-based aerobic exercise and researchers found reduced allostatic load scores compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 213 women · 26 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal obese black women with a family history of breast cancer did six months of supervised or home-based walking exercise and showed improved metabolic syndrome scores compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 213 women · 26 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women in a diet and physical activity lifestyle programme maintained improvements in weight, cholesterol and blood pressure measures from 6 to 18 months, though some benefits partly declined.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 489 women · 78 weeks · 1998Midlife womenCited 19 timesPubMed
In 12 overweight postmenopausal women, replacing sitting with standing and walking over 4 days improved insulin sensitivity similarly to a daily hour of moderate to vigorous exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 women · 2021PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
In middle-aged obese women, 12 weeks of circuit exercise combining aerobic and resistance training reduced body weight, body fat and insulin resistance compared to no significant change in controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 women · 12 weeks · 2018Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did a year of diet, aerobic exercise, or both, and body weight, glucose and inflammation markers improved regardless of antidepressant use.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 439 women · 52 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome features did 6 months of low-load circuit resistance or aerobic cycling training; both groups reduced body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol with no difference between methods.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 34 women · 24 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 16 weeks of resistance training with or without DHA supplementation, with training maintaining bone mineral content, increasing lean mass and strength, and improving glucose tolerance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 16 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 36 timesPubMed
In overweight postmenopausal women, 4 weeks of diet with or without resistance training did not improve insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, though resistance training preserved muscle mass.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 19 women · 4 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 30 timesPubMed
In 24 sedentary postmenopausal women with obesity, 10 weeks of low-volume walking reduced body weight, fat mass, blood glucose and HbA1c, raised fitness, and did not change bone markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 10 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 16 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women with hypertension did 6 months of cardiorespiratory exercise at varying doses, and higher doses were reported to improve metabolic syndrome components more.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 26 weeks · 2013PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
In 400 postmenopausal women, moderate versus high doses of aerobic exercise for a year showed no difference in breast cancer biomarkers measured two years later.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 333 women · 104 weeks · 2019PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women who followed a 12-week systematic walking program showed greater increases in HDL cholesterol and greater decreases in insulin than a control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 12 weeks · 2003Midlife womenCited 22 timesPubMed
In 40 middle-aged obese women with diabetes, 24 weeks of Baduanjin qigong reduced waist, blood glucose, HbA1c and triglycerides compared with no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 40 women · 24 weeks · 2018Midlife womenCited 16 timesPubMed
Perimenopausal women did 4 months of concurrent aerobic and resistance training; the exercise group showed lower LDL cholesterol than a counseling-only group.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 150 women · 16 weeks · 2018PerimenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
In 332 overweight postmenopausal women, a 6-month aerobic exercise program showed that improved heart rate variability was linked to greater reductions in fasting insulin.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 332 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
A 3-month trial will compare pedometer-based walking programs of differing intensity against a control group for effects on blood pressure in 120 sedentary postmenopausal women.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 120 women · 12 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal and premenopausal women did 3 months of high intensity training, and both groups showed similar increases in insulin sensitivity and muscle mass.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2018Early postmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women underwent a 6-month mainly exercise-based weight loss program with estrogen, raloxifene, or placebo; hormone therapy did not increase abdominal fat loss but improved some lipid and glucose measures.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 119 women · 26 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
In 84 sedentary climacteric women with metabolic syndrome, 24 weeks of yoga reduced metabolic syndrome frequency and improved waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, glucose and inflammation markers compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 84 women · 24 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
After 6 months of combined aerobic and resistance exercise, postmenopausal women taking phytoestrogens showed greater reductions in weight, fat mass and blood pressure than those on placebo.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 21 women · 26 weeks · 2010PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
In untrained postmenopausal women, moderate-intensity interval walking and continuous walking training produced similar improvements in glucose, insulin, HDL cholesterol and aerobic fitness.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 32 women · 2014PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
In sedentary postmenopausal women, 12 weeks of step-counting programs increased daily steps and activity but changed only body mass index among clinical outcomes measured.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 115 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
Inactive postmenopausal women did recreational team handball training for 36 weeks and researchers reported improved fitness, knee strength, lumbar spine bone density, and lipid markers.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 45 women · 36 weeks · 2023PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
In 62 menopausal women, 12 weeks of resistance and endurance circuit training combined with time-restricted eating reduced BMI, fat mass, glucose and insulin more than training alone.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 62 women · 12 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
Early postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of resistance training with placebo or transdermal estrogen; placebo group lost more fat mass, while estrogen group improved cholesterol and glucose markers.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2021Early postmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
46 overweight postmenopausal women did 6 months of caloric restriction with or without resistance training; both improved insulin sensitivity similarly but adiponectin reduction during hyperinsulinemia was unchanged.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 46 women · 26 weeks · 2011PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Sedentary men and postmenopausal women with overweight/obesity did 3 weeks of vigorous treadmill exercise with calorie restriction, reducing weight, fat mass and improving insulin sensitivity without changing gut microbiome.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 3 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 10 timesPubMed
Obese menopausal women did 6 months of caloric restriction with or without resistance training; adding resistance training improved muscle strength more in women with low baseline strength.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 109 women · 26 weeks · 2015Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
Over 12 weeks, 58 middle-aged women at cardiovascular risk using counseling, texts and a pedometer showed improved activity levels, body fat, and fasting blood sugar, but no change in cholesterol.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 58 women · 12 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 9 timesPubMed
In 49 postmenopausal South Asian women doing 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, reductions in visceral fat were linked with improved glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 49 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Midlife women aged 42 to 52 did 6 months of combined aerobic and resistance training, and researchers found improved insulin sensitivity compared to a sedentary control group.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 28 women · 26 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 11 timesPubMed
In 15 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, 12 weeks of circuit resistance exercise improved glycemic control, body composition and adipokines more than walking exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did two hours of moderate exercise before meals; exercise did not change how a low carbohydrate diet lowered insulin, but worsened evening blood sugar rises.
Mixed resultsRandomised trial · 32 women · 2016PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
In older women with metabolic syndrome, 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance training improved fitness and strength but did not change body composition, blood pressure or lipid and glucose profiles.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 25 women · 16 weeks · 2022Midlife womenCited 8 timesPubMed
Middle-aged women doing one bout of resistance exercise with or without DHEA supplementation showed improved glucose tolerance, with lipids lowered only when DHEA followed exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 20 women · 2005Midlife womenCited 12 timesPubMed
In 25 hypertensive women followed 9 years through menopause, soccer-based exercise training reduced blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, and kept fasting glucose stable compared to non-exercising controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 25 women · 468 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
In a one-year trial, inactive postmenopausal women doing combined aerobic and strength exercise showed no significant change in insulin sensitivity versus controls.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 181 women · 52 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women who lost weight through an exercise trial, regaining weight over a year of follow-up was associated with rising estrogen and insulin resistance markers and falling sex hormone-binding globulin.
Reported a worseningRandomised trial · 214 women · 104 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 4 timesPubMed
Late premenopausal and early postmenopausal women did 3 months of high-intensity aerobic training, which reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and improved insulin response similarly in both groups.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 79 women · 12 weeks · 2017Midlife womenCited 64 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight or obese postmenopausal women underwent a diet based weight loss program with or without resistance training, and visceral fat measured by two methods decreased similarly after the intervention.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 92 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women aged 45 to 59 did a 6 month strength and stamina exercise programme in water and on land, which lowered systolic blood pressure and insulin more than no exercise.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 63 women · 26 weeks · 2008PostmenopausalCited 7 timesPubMed
In 26 postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of combined exercise with ursolic acid supplementation raised handgrip strength more than exercise with placebo, but waist circumference and other outcomes did not differ.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 26 women · 8 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
In 33 obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes given 14 weeks of diet, exercise alone, or diet plus exercise, only exercise groups reduced visceral fat despite diet alone also reducing weight.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 33 women · 14 weeks · 2005PostmenopausalCited 92 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women with impaired glucose tolerance did aerobic exercise plus calorie restriction for 6 months and showed greater improvement in insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity than calorie restriction alone.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 96 women · 26 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 60 timesPubMed
Middle-aged and young women did 10 weeks of aerobic exercise three times weekly, both groups improved fitness and insulin sensitivity, with greater adiponectin and RBP4 changes in older women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 38 women · 10 weeks · 2008Midlife womenCited 78 timesPubMed
In a 6 month community weight management program combining diet, counseling and exercise visits, women lost an average of 4.7% body weight, with BMI and lipids improving regardless of menopausal status.
Reported an improvementCohort study · 198 women · 26 weeks · 2006Midlife womenCited 51 timesPubMed
Obese postmenopausal women who followed 6 months of hypocaloric diet plus low-intensity walking lost weight and abdominal fat and improved lipid and glucose measures, in both Caucasian and African-American women.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 76 women · 26 weeks · 2003PostmenopausalCited 63 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did acute morning or evening HIIT cycling sprints; irisin, insulin and glucose rose after exercise regardless of time of day, with higher irisin in the evening.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
In 9 trained and 13 untrained women around age 40 to 44, a 90 minute walk before a high fat meal reportedly lowered post meal blood fat levels compared with no exercise.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 22 women · 1997Midlife womenCited 84 timesPubMed
Overweight women aged 35 to 50 did 10 weeks of HIIT or HIIT plus resistance training; strength improved with combined training and lipid and insulin markers improved in both groups, but fitness did not improve.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 27 women · 10 weeks · 2024Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women did 10 weeks of Nordic walking or Pilates, and Nordic walking produced larger improvements in weight, blood glucose and cholesterol than Pilates.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 147 women · 10 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In 85 inactive postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, a home-based dual-task exercise program improved executive function, physical performance and HDL, and reduced IL-10 and TNF, but did not change diabetes indices overall.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 85 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
24 postmenopausal women with fatty liver did 10 weeks of combined endurance resistance training, which reduced RBP4, insulin resistance, and hepatic fat levels versus controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 24 women · 10 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Inactive women averaging age 38 did 5 weeks of high-intensity circuit training and researchers reported decreased insulin resistance, mainly among middle-aged and insulin-resistant participants.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 33 women · 5 weeks · 2019Midlife womenCited 34 timesPubMed
Thirteen moderately obese postmenopausal women did 4 months of resistive training, with or without weight loss, and authors reported decreased insulin response and increased strength.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 13 women · 16 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 65 timesPubMed
Moderately obese postmenopausal women did diet alone or diet plus walking and resistance exercise for 24 weeks, and both groups lost weight with no added effect of exercise on blood lipids or glucose.
No difference foundControlled trial · 41 women · 24 weeks · 1996PostmenopausalCited 51 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome did 12 weeks of water-based rhythmic exercise three times weekly, and researchers reported reduced fasting blood sugar and insulin along with thyroid hormone changes.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 31 women · 12 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
In 60 postmenopausal women, 16 weeks of aerobic or combined aerobic plus strength training improved body composition and metabolic markers, but leg lean mass returned to pre-training levels after 6 months of detraining.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 60 women · 16 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 27 timesPubMed
Sedentary overweight postmenopausal women did resistance training 1, 2 or 3 days weekly for 16 weeks; strength and muscle mass improved in all groups, but only 3 days weekly prevented rises in glucose and CRP.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 33 timesPubMed
In 22 postmenopausal women on or off hormone therapy, a 3-week low-fat, high-fiber diet with aerobic exercise raised SHBG and lowered insulin, BMI and cholesterol.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 22 women · 3 weeks · 2000PostmenopausalCited 48 timesPubMed
In a crossover trial, 13 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did one bout of two HIIT protocols, both improved beta cell glucose sensitivity versus rest, with no difference in insulin sensitivity.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 13 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A pilot trial of diet, exercise and stress management in 49 perimenopausal Latinas found the program feasible and acceptable for reducing cardiovascular risk factors over 12 months.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 49 women · 52 weeks · 2026PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In a large cohort of postmenopausal women, higher calibrated activity-related energy expenditure was linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Reported an improvementCohort study · 2014PostmenopausalCited 51 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women did a 12-week fitness walking program and showed improved triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference and HDL versus controls who worsened.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 30 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did supervised aerobic and resistance training three times weekly for 10 weeks and showed improved fitness and artery compliance, but no change in blood pressure or lipids.
No difference foundControlled trial · 28 women · 10 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 29 timesPubMed
Fifteen postmenopausal women did a 30 minute walk after meals of different glycaemic index, and timing did not change fat oxidation during exercise or post-exercise appetite.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 15 women · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Eight postmenopausal women added daily brisk walking to a high-carbohydrate diet for 3 days, and researchers found this suppressed fasting and postprandial leptin levels compared to diet alone.
Direction not statedControlled trial · 8 women · 2003PostmenopausalCited 35 timesPubMed
Obese middle-aged women did 12 weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training, which lowered body fat, blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides, and visfatin versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 20 women · 12 weeks · 2011Midlife womenCited 21 timesPubMed
African-American pre- and postmenopausal women did six months of mild-intensity aerobic exercise; postmenopausal women showed improved triglycerides and some vascular markers but not fitness or glucose.
No difference foundControlled trial · 35 women · 26 weeks · 2014Midlife womenCited 17 timesPubMed
Sedentary postmenopausal women aged 60 to 75 with dyslipidemia did 10 weeks of Pilates, which improved cardiorespiratory fitness but did not change cholesterol or lipid levels compared to controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 26 women · 10 weeks · 2021PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
Overweight premenopausal and postmenopausal women did a 16-week brisk walking program, which lowered glucose area under the curve but did not improve the overall cardiometabolic risk profile.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 30 women · 16 weeks · 2013Midlife womenCited 15 timesPubMed
Seventy obese postmenopausal women did 12 weeks of high intensity interval training plus mindfulness breathing, which reported reduced weight, insulin resistance, cholesterol and tumor marker levels compared with controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 70 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In a trial of 58 overweight or obese postmenopausal women, a single high-intensity interval cycling session raised myonectin and fat-related blood markers and lowered triglycerides regardless of morning or evening timing.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 58 women · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Postmenopausal women with fatty liver disease who did 8 weeks of elastic band resistance training showed reduced liver fat, fasting insulin, and BMI compared to controls.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 52 women · 8 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
Postmenopausal women received a 12-week community behavioral program targeting diet and physical activity, and waist circumference and activity behaviors improved over 24 weeks versus controls.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 46 women · 24 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
Diabetic postmenopausal women did treadmill walking before or after meals; exercising after meals raised bone formation markers and lowered insulin resistance more than exercising before meals.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 15 women · 2019PostmenopausalCited 13 timesPubMed
In 60 overweight postmenopausal women, 6 months of weight loss plus aerobic exercise improved fitness and reduced android fat distribution more than weight loss alone, which did not change fitness.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 60 women · 24 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 10 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity did 16 weeks of resistance training and/or DHA supplementation, with muscle quality improving more with resistance training and cardiometabolic markers improving more with DHA.
Direction not statedRandomised trial · 16 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women doing 8 weeks of circuit resistance training, with or without an herbal supplement, showed increased apelin and decreased insulin and blood glucose levels.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 96 women · 8 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
A modeling study of 10,854 Australian women aged 50 to 55 found shifting everyone to meet physical activity guidelines reduced modeled rates of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and depression more than smaller uniform increases.
Reported an improvementCohort study · 10,854 women · 2014Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
In 23 sedentary middle-aged women, six weeks of resistance training combined with electrical stimulation reduced LDL and total cholesterol more than resistance training alone, with no difference in glucose or CRP.
No difference foundRandomised trial · 23 women · 6 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
Ten sedentary postmenopausal women did one resistance exercise session; insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness did not differ from a no-exercise trial 15 hours later.
No difference foundControlled trial · 10 women · 2002PostmenopausalCited 18 timesPubMed
15 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined aerobic and resistance exercise in different orders, and aerobic-first order showed lower blood glucose and greater blood pressure reduction.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 15 women · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In a 12-week trial, healthy postmenopausal women who did supervised Nordic walking three times weekly reduced body mass, fat mass, insulin level and systolic blood pressure compared with controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 39 women · 12 weeks · 2017PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
12 postmenopausal women did single sessions of heavy or light-load resistance exercise, both of which acutely improved glucose tolerance compared with no exercise, with no difference between loads.
Reported an improvementRandomised trial · 12 women · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In menopausal and non-menopausal women with metabolic syndrome, three months of aerobic training improved abdominal fat, blood glucose and fitness but did not change resting or post-exercise blood pressure.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2012PostmenopausalCited 6 timesPubMed
Twenty postmenopausal women at risk for heart disease did a 2 week diet and daily walking program and showed reduced BMI, insulin, cholesterol, and some inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 20 women · 2 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 82 timesPubMed
In 851 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 64, higher leisure physical activity was linked to higher HDL cholesterol and lower insulin and fibrinogen levels, with no link to blood pressure.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 851 women · 1996PostmenopausalCited 44 timesPubMed
Overweight pre and postmenopausal women following a meal replacement diet plus guided exercise from week 6 to 24 both lost weight, with postmenopausal women showing greater improvements in blood pressure, triglycerides and glucose.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 72 women · 24 weeks · 2007Midlife womenCited 53 timesPubMed
Sedentary women aged 40 to 60 did a 26 week multicomponent exercise program; postmenopausal women showed greater blood pressure and waist reductions, premenopausal women showed greater lipid and glucose improvements.
Mixed resultsControlled trial · 38 women · 26 weeks · 2025Midlife womenCited 3 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women who habitually did combined aerobic and resistance exercise for over a year had longer telomere length and better metabolic markers than sedentary women of similar age.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 44 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 45 timesPubMed
Six months of resistance training in older men and postmenopausal women with normal or impaired glucose tolerance improved muscle strength and showed a trend toward better insulin sensitivity.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 18 women · 26 weeks · 2001PostmenopausalCited 65 timesPubMed
Nine postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined strength and aerobic training for 16 weeks and showed improved glucose control, insulin action and muscular strength.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 9 women · 16 weeks · 2004PostmenopausalCited 68 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with obesity who did 4 months of resistance training saw decreased body fat and increased strength and fitness, with smaller effects on cholesterol and no change in blood sugar control.
No difference foundControlled trial · 51 women · 16 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Forty-four postmenopausal women with cardiometabolic conditions did 12 weeks of Mat Pilates, which lowered blood pressure and triglycerides more in those with a single condition than multiple conditions.
No difference foundControlled trial · 44 women · 12 weeks · 2025PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal breast cancer survivors did 16 weeks of whole-body resistance training and showed increased muscle strength, reduced fatigue, improved quality of life, and lower inflammatory markers.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 11 women · 16 weeks · 2018PostmenopausalCited 40 timesPubMed
48 postmenopausal women with prediabetes or normal glucose did 14 weeks of combined exercise, after which researchers found changes in DNA methylation at 118 gene regions in the prediabetes group.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 48 women · 14 weeks · 2022PostmenopausalCited 24 timesPubMed
Overweight postmenopausal women followed a low-fat high-fiber diet with daily exercise classes for 2 weeks, reducing serum estradiol, insulin and IGF-I levels.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 38 women · 2 weeks · 2006PostmenopausalCited 34 timesPubMed
In 82 overweight, sedentary postmenopausal women, researchers found that greater lower-body muscle strength was positively associated with insulin sensitivity.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 82 women · 2007PostmenopausalCited 20 timesPubMed
In 137 overweight, sedentary postmenopausal women, a cross-sectional study found higher physical activity energy expenditure was linked to better insulin sensitivity and lower metabolic syndrome risk.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 137 women · 2008PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women in a weight loss trial, higher leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower body mass index, waist circumference, body fat and more favorable cholesterol regardless of sleep quality.
Direction not statedCross-sectional study · 393 women · 2012PostmenopausalCited 11 timesPubMed
Over 24 months, climacteric women practicing yoga showed reduced BMI, body fat, blood pressure and fasting glucose, and higher HDL and estradiol, compared with sedentary controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 182 women · 104 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
100 older postmenopausal Japanese women did a 12-week Nordic walking program, and changes in uric acid and triglycerides correlated with changes in insulin resistance.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 100 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 12 timesPubMed
A controlled trial of 102 sedentary climacteric women with metabolic syndrome found 24 months of Shivam Yoga reduced fasting glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference and menopausal symptom scores.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 102 women · 104 weeks · 2026Midlife womenPubMed
Sedentary overweight to obese postmenopausal women did 6 months of combined endurance and resistance training; gains in muscle mass index correlated with worsening insulin resistance.
Reported a worseningBefore-and-after study · 48 women · 26 weeks · 2015PostmenopausalCited 14 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes did combined strength and aerobic training for 9 months, then stopped for 3 months, then resumed, with glucose control and fitness improving with training and worsening during detraining.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 13 women · 39 weeks · 2014PostmenopausalCited 17 timesPubMed
In postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79, higher recreational activity and habitual walking were associated with lower fasting insulin levels, independent of obesity and other factors.
Reported an improvementCross-sectional study · 3,500 women · 2006PostmenopausalCited 5 timesPubMed
In 20 postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis, a single session of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise did not differ in insulin sensitivity between those on IL-6 versus TNF-alpha inhibitor therapy.
No difference foundControlled trial · 20 women · 2025PostmenopausalPubMed
In 15 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, a 12-week supervised aerobic program raised fitness and lowered weight slightly but did not change fasting insulin or insulin resistance overall.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 15 women · 12 weeks · 2020PostmenopausalCited 8 timesPubMed
Inactive pre and postmenopausal women with obesity did a 16 week walking program and showed reduced insulin resistance, improved fitness and body fat, but increased triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 29 women · 16 weeks · 2018Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
In middle-aged women with metabolic syndrome, an 8-week resistance exercise program reduced waist circumference and insulin sensitivity index and increased serum osteoprotegerin compared with controls.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 24 women · 8 weeks · 2018Midlife womenCited 7 timesPubMed
A case study of a 71-year-old woman who began resistance training at 63 reported greater muscle mass, strength, bone density and fitness than age-matched postmenopausal controls.
Direction not statedBefore-and-after study · 1 women · 2024PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
Ten sedentary postmenopausal women completed 12 weeks of cycle endurance training, which increased fitness and altered glucose flux during exercise similarly to effects seen in younger women.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 10 women · 12 weeks · 2009PostmenopausalCited 9 timesPubMed
Postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity did 12 weeks of interval Nordic walking or strength training, both reduced waist circumference, raised HDL, and lowered blood glucose versus controls.
Reported an improvementControlled trial · 12 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalPubMed
In 56 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors, a multimodal exercise and health education program reduced metabolic syndrome prevalence, hypertension, central obesity, and triglycerides, and improved quality of life after 3 months.
No difference foundBefore-and-after study · 56 women · 12 weeks · 2024PostmenopausalCited 3 timesPubMed
Sixty six obese menopausal women followed a structured diet and exercise program for three months and showed reduced weight, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol, and better quality of life.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 66 women · 12 weeks · 2016PostmenopausalCited 2 timesPubMed
A 12-week combined aerobic and resistance programme in 101 perimenopausal Chinese teachers lowered triglycerides and fasting glucose and improved muscular strength and endurance.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 101 women · 12 weeks · 2026PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
A review described a controlled trial where a 1 year moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program lowered estrogen, testosterone and insulin in overweight, sedentary postmenopausal women.
Reported an improvementOther · 52 weeks · 2007PostmenopausalCited 74 timesPubMed
Twenty active postmenopausal women did 6 weeks of cycling HIIT and researchers found improved fat oxidation, efficiency, and power output, with no change in basal metabolic rate or body composition.
Mixed resultsBefore-and-after study · 20 women · 6 weeks · 2026PostmenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed
In nine healthy postmenopausal women, two treadmill sessions before meals lowered fasting blood glucose by about 20% over 16 hours, but sessions after meals did not.
Reported an improvementOther · 9 women · 2009PostmenopausalCited 23 timesPubMed
Nine overweight perimenopausal Japanese women walked over 10,000 steps daily with reduced calorie intake for 12 weeks and showed improved insulin resistance markers but no change in weight or body composition.
Reported an improvementBefore-and-after study · 9 women · 12 weeks · 2008PerimenopausalCited 1 timesPubMed